Wednesday
12 October
Drizzly
rain this morning so we abandoned our idea of going for a longer walk
in the mountains, packed up and headed for Cork, about 1.5hrs away.
When
we arrived in Cork city and saw how large it was and how unfriendly
it would be for motor homes, we decided to head for our camp site,
Blarney Caravan and Camping Park, and return by bus tomorrow.
Taking
our lives in our hands, we walked the short distance to Blarney to
visit the Blarney Castle. The road is definitely not built for walkers and
being quite narrow it got a bit hairy a few times when traffic was
coming in both directions.
The
grounds of the Blarney Castle are immense and you could easily spend
a day exploring. The castle is in ruins but you can still climb all
the way up and explore the different “rooms” on each level. The
residents were obviously much shorter then us as the bedrooms seemed
quite tiny but the regal banquet and great hall were given a floor
each and the full length of building.
Everybody
visiting wants to head to the top level so they can kiss the Blarneystone which these days is guarded by two attendants, one to take your
photo and the other to guide you backwards as you pucker up. Bill
had a go but we decided the 10 euro for the photo was a bit much so
we took a photo of our own in another location. It's all
the Blarney stone after all.
One
of the gardens below the castle contains poisonous plants which may
or may not have featured during the life of this 13th
century stronghold. There is also a fern, rock and water garden, a
lake, ruin of a Lime Kiln and other towers, and the Blarney House
which is absolutely gorgeous but not opened to visitors at this time.
It looks like someone does actually live there.
Because
we actually wanted to arrive home safely, we decided to catch a taxi
back and landed on a chatty chap who is making a visit to Brisbane
and the Gold Coast after Christmas this year.
The
sun made a welcome appearance late in the afternoon and we hope to
see it again tomorrow.
Thursday
13 October
Not
much sun but no rain either and temps not too cold as we drove back
to Blarney and parked for free all day in the Woollen Mills car park
and caught the bus into Cork city.
We
decided to do our own sightseeing by following the Cork Walk brochure
from the Tourist Information Centre. Cork city is quite large with
lots of streets and lanes full of shops, cafes and pubs and plenty of
people hitting all of them. There are a lot of modern, glitzy
buildings but equally a lot of grey, run-down ones too.
This
is also a city of churches and St Peter and Paul's was the first we
entered, and basically the first we've visited in the Republic as
mostly they've been closed. It was totally beautiful with splendid
wood work, painted organ pipes, marble and stained glass windows. At
first we felt self concious as tourists here as there were several
people praying, or some just come in to light a candle before setting
about their day.
But
we felt even more self concious at the next church - St Augustine'schurch – which had the most bizarre exterior we've ever seen in a
church. Inside were heaps of people praying and we just didn't have
the courage to take too many photos. The interior was very unusual
but also had beautiful stained glass and a side altar surrounded by
lovely blue lights.
On
our way to the third church we came upon the National Monument
honouring the Irish patriots who died during the 1798 and 1867
Risings, and the forlorn Beamish & Crawford Brewery (1792) closed
by new owner Heiniken in 2009. A short distance up the road is the
former stables which once housed the horses used to cart produce to
the brewery when it first began.
St Finbarre's Cathedral is across the street from the stables and is a
magnificent sight with several tall spires, a multitude of animal
head drain pipes jutting out, and the entrance adorned with statues.
Several churches have stood here since the 7th century and
this one was built in 1870 in honour of Cork's patron saint, Fin
Barre.
Inside is quite dark though there are many stained glass
windows. There are beautiful mosaics, marble structures and
magnificent altar. Most unusual is a hanging 20 pound canon ball
discovered in 1864 in the spire of the old cathedral. It had been
fired in 1690 during the siege of Cork and remained there. The
organ, the biggest and finest in Ireland, has 4000 pipes and is
mainly set in a deep pit. A very enjoyable visit.
On
a hill above the city is the former Elizabeth Fort built in the 17th
century and which now serves as a police station. There are still a
few things to see – the upper battlement, several canons and
storage areas, but the main internal space is a car park and there
are now many modern buildings within.
Heading
back into the city we came upon the ruin of the 14th
century Red Abbey Tower and St Finbarr's South church built 1766.
The exterior is the original stone structure but inside is totally
refurbished, making it a very strange combination. Equally strange
is the “Dead Christ” altar installed there since 1832.
After
a lovely pub lunch, our walk took us to the old and abandoned City
Hall building, ironically opposite the modern, new City Hall situated
across the River Lee. Sylvi preferred the older building and thought
it had more character.
Not
far away are the old Customs buildings, also with a lot of character.
They must still be in use as many cars were parked underneath a very
unstable looking awning.
By
now we'd had enough of churches so just walked past St Patrick's
which looked more like a Roman temple.
The Irish Presidential elections are not far away here, so the candidates were
on the campaign trail today. We saw Sean Gallagher, the front runner, doing the meet n
greet with locals in the popular shopping district.
Overall
we were impressed with Cork city with it's combination of old
historical and modern, and we only just touched the surface as there
is so much more to see and do here.
On
our return to Blarney, we had a look in “The Biggest Irish Shop”
filled with the usual tourist delights and also a wander around the
rest of this small village which is attractive and beautifully
maintained and has a great feel to it.
Arriving
back to camp, an eerie fog had started to creep in and increased
further as the night wore on.
Our photos of Cork are here.
Friday
14 October
Happy
birthday to Sylvi's girlfriend Kylie.
The
fog had lifted, leaving drizzly rain as we set off further East
towards the Ring of Kerry on the Iveragh Peninsula, one of Ireland's
“must dos”. Probably this is a “must do” in spring/summer
and definitely when the sun is shining brightly, but in autumn with
drizzly rain it's a little less so. We stopped at Killarney first
though to do a shop and enjoy a Costa coffee.
We
went anti-clockwise as do the tour buses, so as not to encounter any
but really there's no chance of that this time of year. Thinking a
lot of the road was coastal, we were disappointed that most of it is
not, but the parts that were are very spectacular.
One
picturesque area had a small bay dotted by sailing boats with only a
few houses set within the sloping hill.
The
wind wasn't too bad apart from atop one high peak where we stopped to
take photos. The road conditions however were less then ideal being
very narrow with lots of uneven surfaces for much of the 179km
distance.
Along
the way we were back into boggy country, not great scenery wise, but
we were glad to come upon a pile of freshly dug peat left out to dry.
This is the first time we've seen a plot of land where peat is
actually being dug which is surprising as so much of it is used each
year for heating. Peat is a hugely important resource in Ireland, and elsewhere globally, so follow the link if you want to know more.
Passing
the outskirts of the village of Millstreet, still in County Cork, we
saw signs pointing to the arena where they hosted the 1993 EurovisionContest, obviously a very proud moment for them. This was the fifth
time Ireland won the contest and in such a location with a population
of only 1500 residents at the time it would have given the local
community a real boost.
Arriving
at our camp site, Wave Crest, Caherdaniel County Kerry, we had to
phone the manager as the reception was closed however we knew that
this site is open all year round. And what a spot it is. In summer
it must just go off because the location is so beautiful, right on
the water front with heaps of sites strategically placed for maximum
advantage of the view.
After
setting up we went for a short (and dangerous) walk along the road to
the next bend which also has a caravan park and restaurant/pub.
Under normal circumstances we would have had dinner there, but
walking home in the dark along the road with cars zooming past didn't
tickle our fancy. Why did we not just stay at that caravan park?
Because it wasn't listed and may or may not have been open this time
of year.
Now
camp site facilities in Ireland have generally not been that great.
And although Wave Crest is a great location, the shower was only good
if you wanted your skin blasted off with the water pressure –
supposedly a water saving device. Amazing really considering water
pressure has often been a problem for flushing the loo in Ireland
(and parts of the UK too). But at least we were in a protected
location, so even this close to the coast we weren't troubled by wind
at night.
Saturday
15 October
Completing
the Ring of Kerry in more drizzly rain, we were frankly glad to get
to a major, smooth road heading towards Kilkenny, a very tiring 4
hours drive away.
Sadly, the
Ring of Kerry is probably the most overated tourist route we have
encountered on our travels so far. While there are some nice views,
the road is a disgrace to Irish road engineers. This is not that
tough a drive – it's dual carriage all the way. The bends are not
difficult even in a large motorhome. We have driven some truly
claassic and difficult ocean and mountain routes on our trip, and
this is not one of them. The state of the road – undulating
bitumen is the best it gets – a moonscape of potholes or worse -
patchworks of many attempts to mend potholes – just leaves us
jarred to pieces. Not enjoyable at all.
Try
as we might to find a radio station broadcasting the France v Wales
rugby match, we had to content ourselves with updates on the news
hour. Bye bye Wales.
We
haven't seen many crop plantations in Ireland so far (probably too
late in the year) but in this region we did see some corn crops. Something
else that struck us as unusual is that most of the houses don't have
garages for their cars so they park them on the driveway. I'm sure
they regret this fact each winter.
As
we arrive into Kilkenny, we drive through the centre of town along
the high street, on a Saturday afternoon, and it is very busy –
good to see. Our camp site, Tree Grove, Kilkenny, was also open but
unattended so we just set up and waited for someone to come ask for
payment – which they did late in the afternoon. The site is quite
busy for this time of year – no tents though - but very reasonably
priced and the facilities are pretty good.
Sunday
16 October
The
day has commenced cold but sunny (hooray) but before we take the 25
minute walk into Kilkenny city to explore, we watch the Aussies get
beaten by NZ in the rugby. Damn.
Ok,
so this 25 minute walk into the city is supposed to be along the
River Nore but the lack of signage lead us to just walk along the
major road (luckily with footpath) which lead us directly to KilkennyCastle.
The
first structure on this site was a wooden tower built in 1172 by
Anglo-Norman conqueror, Strongbow. In 1192 a four tower castle was
erected (three of which survive) and bought by the powerful Butler
family in 1391. The Butler descendants continued to live there until
1935, which is totally amazing. But sadly due to the running costs,
the furniture was then sold off when the family moved out at this
time. The castle, abandoned all this time and falling into ruin, was
handed over to the city in 1967 for the measly sum of 50 pounds. And
the city has done a wonderful job in restoring the interior and
reacquiring many original artworks from the family.
One
of our favourite rooms was the Withdrawing Room where the ladies
would go after dinner, leaving the men to smoke their cigars and
drink port. This room contained amazing remnants of hand painted
Chinese wallpaper from the 1850s, obviously positioned behind
paintings, mirrors or furniture. The outline of the rest of the
wallpaper was drawn in to give continuity. So fascinating.
The
Picture Gallery Wing is huge and the ceiling has the real look of a
ship's hull which we've seen before on our travels. Unfortunately no
photos are allowed so we'll have to remember the ornate animal head
decorations jutting out below the ceiling, very similar to what we
saw at St Finbarre's Cathedral in Cork, and the splendid white marble
double fireplace. Or poach some photos from elsewhere...
The
Moorish staircase deserves a mention. Possibly painted a far
brighter burgundy then it originally would have been, an amazing sky
light brilliantly highlights the intricate plaster foliage and small
animal decorations (snails, lizards, worms) adorning the columns.
There
were so many other wondrous things about this castle that we loved
and we're so glad the city spent the money to resurrect it as this
type of attraction is what draws tourists. It's nice to see ruins,
but seeing something as it was back in the day is so much more
pleasurable.
Bill
had wondered why he couldn't find Kilkenny beer in Ireland, and
that's because it doesn't exist any more. Well is does
exist, but locally it's under the label Smithwick's (pronounced
Smithick). This was a family run business since 1710 with the red
ale brewed at the 12th
century St Francis Abbey which is still on the site but now a ruin.
In 1965 the brewery was bought by Guinness (who are now owned by
Diageo) and in 2000 the name changed to Guinness UDV Ireland St
Francis Abbey Brewery Kilkenny. The site is basically in the centre
of the city so we went to have a look, though the 1.5hr tours don't
operate Sunday or Monday.
The
medieval cathedral, St Canice was not far away. This is another
amazing historical landmark that has been maintained and still used
today as a working church. A church has stood here since 400AD and
the Round Tower (which still exists) since 849. The present church
was commenced in 1202 and restorations occurred as recently as 1985.
There
is a fascinating story of a “witch” being captured by the bishop
of the day, she escaping and her poor maid being burnt at the stake
and the nephew of said “witch” paying to re-roof the church to
redeem himself. Unfortunately this lead roof was too heavy and
collapsed in 1332. Funny enough, the “witch” lived a long life
and the cross decorating her headstone is now copied for a collection
of jewellery especially hand crafted for the cathedral.
Many
of the prominent Butler family (of Kilkenny Castle fame) are interred
here as are many of the Smithwick family from the famous brewery
(though they have graves outside).
The
choir stalls were installed in 1901 and were made in Bruges, Belgium
as an exact copy of what you will find in their cathedral.
Unfortunately we did not get to visit Bruges on our European leg.
We
really enjoyed this visit and would have climbed the narrow Round
Tower if it had been open whilst we were there.
A
little further away is the Dominican Black Abbey founded in 1225. In
1543 it became a courthouse then fell into disrepair from 1650 until
1866. Two fascinating finds during an excavation and which are on
display are several 13th
century stone coffins and a marble statue of the Holy Trinity. This
was quite a nice little church.
Back
in the city centre, the roman looking City Hall stands on the spot
where the unfortunate “witch's” maid, Petronella was burnt at the
stake in 1324 and a short distance away is the very attractive RotheHouse, a 16th
century merchants house in Tudor style.
Heading
back to our camp site, we found the river walk which commenced
outside the Castle but again the lack of signage forced us to follow
a local couple to once again find the road.
We
decided to pack up and head for Dublin which is only an hour's drive
away and were super happy to be on a major, smooth road all the way.
Lots of trees are shedding their autumn leaves along the highway,
leaving a pretty carpet of orange, red and yellow.
Arriving
at our camp site, Camac Valley Dublin, we were glad to see that this
is a large, totally professional site. It is right beside the
highway, so noise may be an issue, but in contrast there are several
buses into the city right at our doorstep. And on the cute factor,
there are tonnes of bunnys hopping about at dusk.
It
was so nice to have a beautiful, sunny day. The first in Ireland.
This made everything look so much more radiant and beautiful and
lifted our mood no end.
Our other Ring of Kerry and Kilkenny photos are here.
Monday
17 October
Strong
winds picked up again overnight and the temp first up is around 8
degrees and overcast. The HOHO in Dublin picked us up from our camp
site which is great.
Dublin
is quite a big city and the tour took us past the Castle, several
churches, the massive Guinness brewery, the old jail, a huge park
(Phoenix), the old Jameson Distillery and the Temple Bar area where
lots of tendy cafes and pubs can be found.
Dublin also has the amazing Spire, or Monument of Light whcih rises 122 metres above the City, and emits light form the tip of the spire at night. It looks great.
We
also went past Trinity College (1592) so decided to make our way back
there to check out this massive and most prestigious place and did a
half hour walking tour taken by a history student in his 4th
year. The many buildings are of different architectural style, some
beautiful and some not so.
One
that was totally gorgeous was the Exam Hall, normally not open at
this time of year but students are still selecting subjects etc as
the college term begins. The interior is a beautiful light blue with
many white plaster decorations, large portraits of Irish notables and
prettily painted pipe organs which the Irish seem famous for.
Something
people definitely come to see is the Old Library which houses the
Book of Kells – a magnificent illustrated bible with exceptional
caligraphy and illustrations from 6th centruy - as well
as a massive collection of really old books of all shapes and sizes.
It's a bit like something out of Harry Potter.
It
is quite amazing to view 2 of the 4 volumes of the Book of Kells
(they swap them around all the time) to see their fantastic condition
and vibrant colour. No photos allows so these are sourced elsewhere.
Up
until now there had only been a few light showers but in the late
afternoon we got a massive downpour plus strong winds so had to take
shelter until it passed. The temps started to feel Artic so we
decided to head back to our camp. It's supposed to be very cold
overnight, around 3 degrees.
Tuesday
18 October
It's
a beautiful, sunny, windy, chilly 4 degree morning and temps aren't
expected to go much higher then 11 degrees.
Back
into the city on the HOHO we first headed to have breakfast at
Bewley's Grafton Street, opened 1927 with Bewley's being a world
coffee and tea supplier since 1840. This place was bustling with
dine in and take away service, a larger dining room and upstairs
seating for lunch, a 50 seat theatre on the third floor and coffee
roasting facilities on the fourth floor. The food and coffee were
fantastic. Nearby was a statue of Molly Malone of Cockles and Mussels fame.
A
visit to the Dublin National Archaeology Museum was a must to see the “bog
bodies”. After seeing so much bog in the Irish countryside, we
were curious about these finds only made a few years ago in 2003.
There were two complete bodies and three partials, all amazingly well
preserved by their time in the perfect conditions of the bogs. Hair,
skin, nails, even internal organs could be seen we well as the scars
caused by the violent ways in which they were killed – stabbings,
strangulations, beheading. Amazing and fascinating.
As
well as the bodies, many items of clothing have been found over the
years in the bogs. These were also in pristine condition and Sylvi
can't imagine how difficult it must have been to wash them for
display.
After
the era of the Celts in Dublin around 500BC came the Vikings who
urbanised the city. Many excavations have found Viking remains and
relics and some of them were on display in the museum – a complete
human skeleton, many swords, shields, homewares etc. And
as always, there were lots of Egyptian items including two mummies.
The
museum building itself was magnificent. Completed in 1890, it is
richly decorated with floor mosaics, a domed ceiling with zodiac
mosaic, marble columns, and ornate plaster work. A very enjoyable
visit. Sadly no photos allowed.
Next
door to the museum is Leinster House, a 1748 Georgian house which is
now home to both seats of the Irish Parliament which must have been
in session as there was a lot of activity going on.
Dublin
city has a lot of green space, so on such a beautiful day we took a
stroll in St Stephen's Green which reminded us a little of the
Brisbane Botanical Gardens with its lush green lawns, walking paths,
ample bench seating and large duck ponds.
Not
far down the road was a glass topped Stephen's Green Shopping Centre which houses the
largest indoor clock. The building itself and array of shops inside
is very impressive but the clock is less so.
A
quick look in the Dublin Castle grounds revealed a mix match of architecture
probably from different eras. First built in 1204, only the Record
tower survives from the original. Next to it is a lovely old church
but the rest of the “palace” looking buildings have a much more
modern feel. We didn't take the tour of the State Rooms but did walk
through the small garden, overlooked by the facade of castle coach
building.
After
lunch in a funny little tea house, we walked through the Temple Bar area and then back around the City.
Bill had his third haircut of the
trip and then it was time to board the bus back to camp. We decided
to use the onboard shower for the first time as the hot water at this
camp (which you have to pay extra for) is more cool to luke warm.
Not terribly pleasant when the outside temp is 4 degrees. And as
confirmation that it really is 4 degrees and below here, the beer
Bill keeps in the garage is colder then that in the fridge.
So that is it for our time in Ireland, as we catch the ferry from Dublin to Holyhead in Wales tomorrow. We really enjoyed parts of Ireland, but found some areas hard work.
The rest of our Dublin photos are here.
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